A gripping mystery.” — People
“This remarkable debut features detective Cat Kinsella, who still experiences ‘constant low-level dread’ from festering family secrets. When a body is discovered near her dad’s London pub, Cat shakes off the fear that once ‘muzzled’ her, and unleashes herself on the investigation.” — Minneapolis Star-Tribune
“Frear keeps the reader riveted both to the progression of the case and the complicated truths the investigation exposes. In Cat, she has created a protagonist who is edgy and defensive, yet wry and incisive. Some passages will have you laughing out loud. First published in June in the UK, TV rights have been purchased and the author has a two-book deal. So we’ll be seeing at least one more Cat Kinsella novel—and hopefully an ongoing series. You might want to get in on the ground floor.” — Newark Star-Ledger
“I recently made the acquaintance of a new detective whom I rather liked. . . . [I] found myself intrigued by her heroine, 26-year-old Metropolitan Police Force detective constable Cat Kinsella. Like many fictional detectives, Cat has a troubled past, but she also has an agreeably caustic tongue and a questionable approach to ethics, and I enjoyed following her through a Tana French-ish procedural plot.” — Seattle Times
“ A gripping mystery starring a fascinating female detective, Sweet Little Lies is an exciting debut procedural that will leave readers wanting more from Caz Frear.” — Bustle
“[A] taut, psychologically twisted debut . . . Readers will root for the spiky Kinsella, with her emphatic center, and hope to see more of her in future books.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Cat’s evolution from one-dimensional sad sack to complex, honest adult is both believable and welcome, putting her on par with Susie Steiner’s and Tana French’s female detectives. A truly satisfying—and gritty—mystery.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“Frear has fashioned a remarkably rich and sympathetic character in Cat, and her portrayal of dysfunctional families, especially their mix of world-weary dialogue interspersed with cutting comments, is cringingly realistic. . . . Impressive. . . will also work as a way of keeping Tana French fans happy while waiting for French’s next book.” — Booklist
“An assured debut . . . All the characters—minor or lead, living or dead—are well crafted. Frear also makes an impression with her vivid dialogue and prose . . . It’s no secret that Lies is an engrossing read.” — Shelf Awareness
“Astonishingly assured. . . . a stellar crime fiction debut by an author to watch .” — Crime by the Book
“Outstanding. . . . ‘Sweet Little Lies’ is a confident first novel that succinctly melds the police procedural with the psychological thriller.” — Oline Cogdill, The Sun Sentinel
“With a portrait of Cat with depth and nuance, Frear creates as fascinating a character as readers are likely to encounter this year. A complex tale of depravity—and daddy issues that threaten to overcome Frear’s protagonist—’Sweet Little Lies’ represents a study in the damage that falsehoods inflict, a meditation on the grievances and grief of family—and a thumping good read.” — The Free-Lance Star (Fredericksburg, VA)
“Caz Frear’s Sweet Little Lies has been generating a lot of buzz (It’s even been optioned for TV by Carnival Films, the producer of “Downtown Abbey”), and with good reason: It is one of the best debuts I’ve read in some time.” — BookPage Magazine
“An intense page-turner. Admirers of the police procedurals of Tana French and the thrillers of Clare Mackintosh will welcome Frear’s dramatic debut.” — Library Journal
“A smart page-turner that you’d never guess was written by a first-time novelist.” — AARP, “Summer Fiction Preview 2018”
“Sweet Little Lies is a mesmerizing psychological murder mystery. An extraordinary debut novel that effectively takes a deep look at how we often struggle to cope with the realities of our darker past. [It] features an assortment of unforgettable characters and a plotline that is gripping, thought-provoking and genuine. . . . A captivating story.” — New York Journal of Books
“Sweet Little Lies is a tremendous debut. Caz Frear delivers on a compelling premise with taut prose, snappy dialogue, and a fresh, confident voice. Highly recommended!” — Alafair Burke, New York Times bestselling author of The Wife
“A blistering debut from a major new voice. I couldn’t put it down. Authentic, compelling, unflinching and tender and written with real verve and assurance.” — Erin Kelly, author of Broadchurch and He Said She Said
“Caz Frear’s ability to write tight, tense dialogue with a dark comedic slant is brilliant. I read Sweet Little Lies in one sitting, it is a terrific debut.” — Lynda La Plante, creator of Prime Suspect
“BRILLIANT! Unputdownable and great writing. Recommended.” — Marian Keyes
“Outstanding. . . Frear has an astonishingly confident voice for a new writer and there’s a dark humor that lifts the storytelling to a different level.” — Ann Cleeves, creator of the Vera and Shetland series
“Sweet Little Lies is written with panache and is kick-ass feminist, as well as laugh-out-loud funny.” — The Independent (UK)
“A superb page-turner, packed with impressive police procedural, a fascinating, festering, twisting mystery that weaves tantalisingly between past and present, and a plot that thrills and confounds to the final showdown. A remarkable debut from an exciting new author.” — Lancashire Evening Post
I recently made the acquaintance of a new detective whom I rather liked. . . . [I] found myself intrigued by her heroine, 26-year-old Metropolitan Police Force detective constable Cat Kinsella. Like many fictional detectives, Cat has a troubled past, but she also has an agreeably caustic tongue and a questionable approach to ethics, and I enjoyed following her through a Tana French-ish procedural plot.
An assured debut . . . All the characters—minor or lead, living or dead—are well crafted. Frear also makes an impression with her vivid dialogue and prose . . . It’s no secret that Lies is an engrossing read.”
Frear keeps the reader riveted both to the progression of the case and the complicated truths the investigation exposes. In Cat, she has created a protagonist who is edgy and defensive, yet wry and incisive. Some passages will have you laughing out loud. First published in June in the UK, TV rights have been purchased and the author has a two-book deal. So we’ll be seeing at least one more Cat Kinsella novel—and hopefully an ongoing series. You might want to get in on the ground floor.
A gripping mystery starring a fascinating female detective, Sweet Little Lies is an exciting debut procedural that will leave readers wanting more from Caz Frear.”
Astonishingly assured. . . . a stellar crime fiction debut by an author to watch.
Frear has fashioned a remarkably rich and sympathetic character in Cat, and her portrayal of dysfunctional families, especially their mix of world-weary dialogue interspersed with cutting comments, is cringingly realistic. . . . Impressive. . . will also work as a way of keeping Tana French fans happy while waiting for French’s next book.
This remarkable debut features detective Cat Kinsella, who still experiences ‘constant low-level dread’ from festering family secrets. When a body is discovered near her dad’s London pub, Cat shakes off the fear that once ‘muzzled’ her, and unleashes herself on the investigation.
A gripping mystery.
Frear has fashioned a remarkably rich and sympathetic character in Cat, and her portrayal of dysfunctional families, especially their mix of world-weary dialogue interspersed with cutting comments, is cringingly realistic. . . . Impressive. . . will also work as a way of keeping Tana French fans happy while waiting for French’s next book.
Caz Frear’s Sweet Little Lies has been generating a lot of buzz (It’s even been optioned for TV by Carnival Films, the producer of “Downtown Abbey”), and with good reason: It is one of the best debuts I’ve read in some time.
Outstanding. . . Frear has an astonishingly confident voice for a new writer and there’s a dark humor that lifts the storytelling to a different level.”
A blistering debut from a major new voice. I couldn’t put it down. Authentic, compelling, unflinching and tender and written with real verve and assurance.
Outstanding. . . . ‘Sweet Little Lies’ is a confident first novel that succinctly melds the police procedural with the psychological thriller.
Caz Frear’s ability to write tight, tense dialogue with a dark comedic slant is brilliant. I read Sweet Little Lies in one sitting, it is a terrific debut.
A superb page-turner, packed with impressive police procedural, a fascinating, festering, twisting mystery that weaves tantalisingly between past and present, and a plot that thrills and confounds to the final showdown. A remarkable debut from an exciting new author.
Sweet Little Lies is a tremendous debut. Caz Frear delivers on a compelling premise with taut prose, snappy dialogue, and a fresh, confident voice. Highly recommended!
BRILLIANT! Unputdownable and great writing. Recommended.
“Sweet Little Lies is written with panache and is kick-ass feminist, as well as laugh-out-loud funny.
A smart page-turner that you’d never guess was written by a first-time novelist.
“Summer Fiction Preview 2018” AARP
With a portrait of Cat with depth and nuance, Frear creates as fascinating a character as readers are likely to encounter this year. A complex tale of depravity—and daddy issues that threaten to overcome Frear’s protagonist—’Sweet Little Lies’ represents a study in the damage that falsehoods inflict, a meditation on the grievances and grief of family—and a thumping good read.
The Free-Lance Star (Fredericksburg
Sweet Little Lies is a mesmerizing psychological murder mystery. An extraordinary debut novel that effectively takes a deep look at how we often struggle to cope with the realities of our darker past. [It] features an assortment of unforgettable characters and a plotline that is gripping, thought-provoking and genuine. . . . A captivating story.
New York Journal of Books
Outstanding. . . Frear has an astonishingly confident voice for a new writer and there’s a dark humor that lifts the storytelling to a different level.”
Caz Frear’s ability to write tight, tense dialogue with a dark comedic slant is brilliant. I read Sweet Little Lies in one sitting, it is a terrific debut.
Sweet Little Lies is written with panache and is kick-ass feminist, as well as laugh-out-loud funny.
Sweet Little Lies is written with panache and is kick-ass feminist, as well as laugh-out-loud funny.
★ 2018-05-15
